BIBEX in the Future
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A Note from the Chair Science Features 2 BIBEX 3 STARE, TRACE-A, and SAFARI 7 Satellite Fire Monitoring 9 EXPRESSO 11 Domestic vs. Wild Fires in Africa 13 Boreal Forest Fire Research 15 GFMC and BIBEX 16 SAFARI-2000 19 BIBEX in the Future |
Andi graduated from Göettingen University (Germany) and received his PhD in 1978 at UC San Diego. After holding the position of professor of oceanography at Florida State University (1978 - 1987 ) he moved to Mainz (Germany) where he has been serving as Director of the Biogeochemistry Department of Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. He is also professor in the Environmental Engineering Science Department at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). One of his main scientific interests is in the role of fire in atmospheric chemistry and biogeochemical cycles. The research groups in the Biogeochemistry Department are all fully or partially involved in fire research.
One of Andi's visions was the clarification of the role of vegetation fires in the global environment through interdisciplinary research programs open to the international science community. We all thank Andi for his energetic contributions.
The last BIBEX meeting also reorganized Committee memberships. The new list of members can be found on the BIBEX homepage (see box). On behalf of the whole BIBEX community we wish to thank all former Committee members for their long-lasting involvement.
Given the progress of research achieved during the lifetime of BIBEX in biomass burning emissions, chemistry, and related atmospheric chemistry processes, the Committee agreed that the future focus of BIBEX should give special attention to regional and global inventories (including remote sensing of fires), fire ecology, and global fire modeling.
At one panel discussion during the CACGP/IGAC conference in Seattle relationships between the science community, policy makers, and the public were discussed and deficiencies identified. Being challenged by the recent public debates on fire and smoke in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Far East of Russia, the BIBEX community feels encouraged to continue close cooperation with international organizations and agencies to determine national, regional and global strategies and policies addressing fire.
The recent consultation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on "Public Policies Affecting Forest Fires" (Rome, 28-30 October 1998) and the endeavours of the World Health Organization (WHO) in developing the "WHO Health Guidelines in Episodic Vegetation Fire Events" (Lima, 69 October 1998) both requested inputs from the fire science community. The overall goals of the UN programmes, which include the role of the UNEP and the WMO, are targeted towards development of policies which will contribute to reduce the negative impacts of wildfires and land-use fires on human health and safety, environment, and sustainable development. The human dimension of fire challenges us to cooperate more closely cooperation with the social and political sciences.
More than ever before we feel that BIBEX is an important activity within the IGBP to understand the role of vegetation burning in past, current and future global change processes. With an improved information and monitoring system on global fire -- the Global Fire Monitoring Center -- we anticipate greater interaction with the community through exchange and processing of information, and the further development of a science agenda.
--Johann G. Goldammer and
Joyce E. Penner
Mainz/Freiburg and Ann Arbor, 8 November 1998
Mainz/Freiburg and Ann Arbor, 8 November 1998
